News publishing made a big impact on this year’s Mediaweek 100 List, with over 10% of the total list being made up of news publishing professionals, featuring both new and long-time industry veterans.
From director of publishing sales to publishers themselves, the news publishing leaders recognised on this year’s list demonstrates the breadth of talent and expertise within the industry.
100. Nicholas Gray
Managing Director & Publisher, The Australian & Prestige and Managing Director, Tech Platform Partnerships
Nicholas Gray is at the top half of the Mediaweek 100 this year and is his first time appearing on the list. Gray leads News Corp’s recently announced new The Australian and Prestige Titles division leadership team to drive the next phase of audience and commercial growth.
Gray has been with News Corp for 13 years including time as CEO of The Australian and managing director of Vogue and GQ Australia. Previously he spent time with Macquarie Bank, Lion, iSelect and ninemsn.
83. Jo Clasby [New]
Director of Sales, Total Publishing, Nine
Clasby is a brand new entrant on this year’s Mediaweek 100, coming in at 83. Clasby worked at Nine for 14 years until 2012, rising to the role of group business manager. From Nine, she headed to Bauer Media and Foxtel Media before returning to the company in 2020 to head up sales at Nine’s publishing mastheads including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.
72. Anthony De Ceglie [new]
Director of News and Current Affairs and Editor-in-Chief, Seven West Media
Anthony De Ceglie placed 72 on this year’s 100 after a year that saw him propelled into the top news job at SWM, following the departure of Craig McPherson.
Before relocating to Sydney in April, he was editor-in-chief of Seven’s recently-launched digital newspaper The Nightly, plus The West Australian, The Sunday Times, PerthNow plus its suburban newspapers, and 19 regional newspapers.
He is now responsible for 7NEWS, Sunrise, The Morning Show, 7NEWS Spotlight, and 7NEWS.com.au.
71. Mike Connaghan
Managing Director, Commercial Content, News Corp Australia
The copywriter-turned-agency executive moved to News Corp after 13 years leading STW/WPP as chief executive officer. The agency experience has proven invaluable. “We’ve easily got the biggest commercial content business in the country – more clients are seeing the power of having an organisation like News,” Connaghan explained to Mediaweek previously.
Part of this commercialisation mix at News Corp is the several companies inside of the business that can service clients in-house. This includes the creative agency Roller, and the content marketing agencies Medium Rare, Storyation, Suddenly, News Native Network and NewsCast.
66. Peter Blunden
Executive Editor, News Corp Australia
Blunden placed 74th last year and this year he comes in at the 66th spot. While he has stepped back a little from his day-to-day duties at News Corp, his role is still a critical one with oversight over strategy across the newspaper.
In June this year, Blunden was this year made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to journalism, particularly through the print media, and to the community.
60. Vanessa Lyons
CEO, ThinkNewsBrands
Vanessa Lyons jumped 9 places this year to take number 60 on this year’s 100 (she placed 69 on 2023’s Mediaweek 100).
ThinkNewsBrands promotes how and why professionally-produced premium news content is the best partner for advertisers to grow their brands. TNB stakeholders include News Corp Australia, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media. In her role, Lyons oversees the release of the readership data collected by Roy Morgan.
43. Mark Reinke
Managing Director & Publisher – State, Communities and Sport
News Corp Australia strengthened its commitment to the nation’s states mid-year with a new state and communities mastheads division.
Led by Reinke, the newly formed group connects with the more than 10 million Australians who engage with their regional news brands across digital and print.
Reinke joined News Corp as managing director, consumer in 2019 after 14 years with Sun Corp.
31. Pippa Leary
Managing Director & Publisher, Free News & Lifestyle, News Corp Australia
After debuting at 80 on 2023’s Mediaweek 100, Pippa Leary has jumped to spot number 31 after a big year at News Corp. She joined the company two years ago in a role to accelerate the company’s ambition to be the nation’s leading marketing services provider for Australian businesses.
A recent business reorganisation came with a change of title for her also. In September 2024, NCA unveiled the free news & lifestyle business unit and its publishing team to spearhead the next stage of growth.
The free news & lifestyle division encompasses news.com.au, as well as lifestyle sites such as Escape, Taste.com.au and Body+Soul among others.
17. Tory Maguire
Managing Director – Publishing, Nine Entertainment Co
Tory Maguire is another brand new entrant on the year’s 100, placing in the top 20 at 17.
In 2024, Maguire was appointed to her current role, assuming management responsibility for Nine’s publishing assests including metro mastheads and The AFR. Previously, Maguire was the executive editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAToday – a role she held from July 2021.
13. Lou Barrett
Managing Director Sales, News Corp Australia
Lou Barrett has been a top 20 mainstay since the Mediaweek 100’s inception, last year placing 18th and this year coming in at number 13. Not only has she ranked high on this year’s list, she also was the recipient of 2024’s Mediaweek Icon award.
Key to her success in what has at times been a challenged sector as revenues move from print to digital, has been networking and education. Networking means she has a contact book the envy of many. Education means keeping abreast of the latest developments in and around the sector.
1. Michael Miller
Executive Chairman, News Corp Australia
Rounding out this year’s 100 is News Corp Australia’s Executive Chairman, Michael Miller, who placed third last year and fourth the year before.
Miller has done a good job steering the group ship. The growth of digital subscriptions continues. The company reported in November 2024 that news media digital subscribers at News Corp Australia as of September 30, 2024 were 1,127,000 (979,000 for news mastheads), compared to 1,049,000 (937,000 for news mastheads) in the prior year. The tough ad market saw lower print ad revenue, but no figure was released. Miller first joined News in 1992 and has held various roles at News Corp Australia ever since, except for just over two years running APN News & Media from May 2013.
Other names from the news publishing industry that made this year’s Mediaweek 100 include:
• Rebecca Costello, Managing Director, Guardian Australia
• Scott Purcell and Frank Arthur, Founders, Man of Many
• Mason Rook, Chief Executive Officer, Pedestrian
• Lachlan Heywood, Executive Editor, Daily Mail Australia
• Nick Smith, Managing Director, Medium Rare Content Agency
Despite their varied backgrounds and different rankings on this year’s Mediaweek 100, all news publishing executives, publishers and directors are contributing to the overall success and evolution of news publishing in a fragmented space.